Shadows of a Dying Republic RERELEASED
by A L P H A - H U N T R E S S
Summary: Star Wars RPG, Pre-Clone Wars. Three strangers who must find their way preceeding the collapse of the Old Republic. By relying on each other can they survive the death throes of the dying Old Republic and the birth of the new Galactic Empire?
1. Mirdala's Story Dark Legacy

**1 – Mirdala's Story – **_**Dark Legacy**_

* * *

The little girl ran into her father forcefully tackling him playfully as the man feinted to be taken by surprise, though he could easily sense her speed and direction from the noise she was making. Mirdala so much wanted to be a huntress, she had so much naïve zeal but no training and no comprehension of what her dream entailed. Nevertheless, his daughter managed to surprise him, making him grunt in surprise as she tackled him; he had made the mistake of not taking into account her strength and not paying attention; both worked to her favor though she was small but unbelievably strong. He forced a small smile appear on his face, it wasn't utterly sincere but Mirdala would never know the difference, maybe later in life but not at this age.

As a Mandalorian raised mercenary it was the most essential part of his being to sire sons and daughters, to support and engage in the dynamics of a fruitful family. He'd been partially successful, although his wife was not Mandalorian their marriage was cordial, close enough to sustain damage by way of numerous arguments and still come out intact. He had two beautiful daughters, no sons yet but Mirdala was so like him some days he never wanted for the sons that Mandalorians cherished. The Father-Son bond was paramount in Mandalorian society but Mirdala, his _Mir'ika_ left him wanting for little, if they never had a son, he could be happy with her. Even that was denied him; his wife would never allow him to teach either Mirdala or Ismene in the way of the _Mando'ade _not even if Mirdala wanted it.

His daughters would not be raised to be warriors, they would be politicians, and his daughters would not fight their battles with weapons but with their tongues and intellect. He'd succeeded and failed, succeeded as a father but failed as a Mandalorian, he was the last of the _Mando'ade _and his daughters were _dar'manda_ – never knowing they existed without knowing of or reveling in the warrior soul deep within, never nurturing it, ever living a half-life. It killed him to know Mirdala wanted to be a daughter of the _Mando'ade_ but that for the sake of her life and for his wife he'd never teach her, never step out of line; he'd condemn her to be _dar'manda _– not a Mandolorian.

In an attempt to vainly bury a new wave of self-loathing he rose, getting up and started running around with her on his back. She laughed joyously and his soul rose a bit higher, he felt elated before he gently dropped her on the bed. She grabbed his hand, "Buir (Father), are you going hunting again tonight?"

Inside he closed his eyes, knowing what was coming, she so wanted to go and as always he had to deny her, deny himself, deny them both. Despite his uneasy feelings, an easy smile came to his lips along with the reply, "Yes. Why do you ask, Mir'ika?"

"Take me with you; please, please, please. I am sure Ismene would like to go too. Please," the girl was too smart for her own good, once she'd figured out what he'd done for a living and judged that it was more fascinating than her mother's occupation Mirdala had never been able to give it a rest, she'd begged him each and every night he'd go hunting to take her with him. It astounded him that most of the castle didn't know where he went or when he came and went but Mirdala never missed it, she knew when he hunted as if she knew she was being deprived of some great treat.

"Why do you think Ismene would want to go hunting?" Though they were identical down to the last detail, mirror images of each other, deep down he knew that Ismene didn't desire the same thing as Mirdala but the elder twin amused her younger sister, humored her. Trust came too easily to Mirdala, all the eagerness in the world wouldn't make up for that flaw, trust too easily in his line of work and she'd end up dead. That, if anything else didn't, convinced them he needed to keep Mirdala off a battlefield, coddled in a safety net of Jaleida's own making, her mother knew better what was good for the two girls.

The girl thought a moment and said promptly, "Because Ismene and I are going to become the best and most feared hunters in the galaxy."

"Maybe Ismene doesn't want to be a hunter," he countered, trying to be careful in the way he said it, no reason to brutally crush her hopes and dreams but it was good to put the idea in her mind, then it wouldn't be much of a shock when Ismene revealed the truth.

"Why wouldn't she? She is my sister and my best friend. She would never abandon me, would she, Buir?"

"Of course not, and neither will I," a vow he was sure the two of them would keep, Ismene and Mirdala were close and if there was one thing he'd been allowed to teach them it was the Mandalorian idea of duty to one's family. Family came before ALL else. If anything happened to him and Jaleida he was sure the girls would watch out for each other.

"I love you, Buir," suddenly she turned evasive, her tone lowered conspiratorially so as not to be heard easily, "please take me with you. Dala'buir (Mother) doesn't have to know."

"It would not take long for the servants to notice your absence when they wake you in the morning. You can come soon enough," the lie rolled easily off his tongue but it tasted like ash and smoke.

"Please, take me Buir," she entreated, in a heartbeat he wanted to grab her and take her with but higher reasoning said it was stupid; he wouldn't be able to hunt AND protect Mirdala effectively. No, until she could look after herself he had to agree with the consensus.

"Not now."

"CERTAINLY not now!" came the voice of the girl's mother. She was outlined in the door as she gave a wry smile. It came too easily to be a TRUE smile; Jaleida was schooling her features to hide her REAL reaction from Mirdala who promptly ducked under her covers at being caught. Meanwhile his wife focused all her attention upon him, "If I didn't know any better, Love, I would have believed you were ready to scoop her up and take her."

_Busted_, Ardeshir thought to himself, although they were ill-matched in what they believe 'right and proper' for their daughters they were well matched when it came to reading and knowing each other. No one could read him like Jaleida could, no one, which of course meant there was nothing that he could hide, "I regrettably have to admit I cannot face her, and her plea was absolutely perfect. What charisma!" he smiled while his wife, ever the all-knowing omnipotent mother frowned, if he didn't know better he would have thought he married a _jetii_, he rose from where he was kneeling near the bed and kissed his wife, "just like her beloved mother."

The mother kept her eyes on her husband a moment boding something was going to happen - a discussion but she stepped into the room, kissing her second daughter on the forehead before uttering a good night.

* * *

The wife closed the door of their bedroom before she started to talk. She was trying hard to contain her voice, for she didn't want to wake her two daughters. "You had every intention of taking Mirdala with you?"

That wasn't true, it was a lie, there is no way he would have taken Mirdala with him TONIGHT but he knew that this argument wasn't for that, it was for the fact he dared to consider taking her AT ALL. It was the one battle they always fought, the one that Jaleida always won and he lost, if she didn't keep him in check Jaleida knew that nothing would stop him from craving to share his Mandalorian heritage and with Mirdala in particular. That was what this argument was for, to keep him in check, to keep him down, a part of him resented the fact she tamed him, kept him under thumb but damn it, he loved her and therefore he allowed it all, "Calm down, Jaleida. I was just a harmless second thought; I didn't have much weight in the area of common sense…"

"But you would have done it?"

_Yes_, he thought, if she was older and able to take care of herself he would have in a heartbeat. Right now as a child Mirdala knew nothing, she was naïve, and for her own good it was smart that her parents decide what was right for her but when she came of age, the lines would be blurred, if Mirdala still thirst to know and share what only he could give her he knew that in a heartbeat, Jaleida's protests be damned, he'd give it to his little girl, he'd give her anything she wanted once she was old enough to decide her life for herself. There was a fine line between protecting her from herself and shaping her into a puppet.

"Jaleida, she just wants to see, nothing more of anything. Once she sees it, it would terrify her and keep from any more fantasies of following in my footsteps. She just wants to see it," he wasn't sure of that, in fact he was bluffing but Jaleida, so desperate was taking it in, hook line and sinker.

Her eyes shifting over to him, introspectively, "So what do you proposing, Ardeshir."

"Plan a very careful excursion in which the girls and you stay safely inside a well protected building. I go out and hunt as usual and allow her to see the true horror of it. She is bored with lessons, bored with her life and telling her that she doesn't want to be a huntress won't cut it for Mirdala. She is tenacious, she sees a goal and she wants it with a single-minded passion, seeing it firsthand will break her of it," likely another lie, "finally show her it isn't a pretty future, nothing she'd want to pursue in comparison to the safety and security we offer to her in this life."

Jaleida exhaled softly and silently, "There is no other way? I don't wish for Ismene to see such a thing either."

Ardeshir gave an irritable glance at his wife, "Ismene, Ismene, Ismene. You always dote on her, what is wrong with Mirdala?"

"Nothing is wrong with her, I love Mirdala the same. I will plan this excursion as long you can assure me the girls will be perfectly safe and this will dissuade Mirdala from ruining her life," that last was harsh to swallow. That to be like him was to ruin their child's life. It was no new news to him that Jaleida didn't like and didn't think much of her profession previous to wedding her. In truth he'd loved his mercenary lifestyle but he'd abandoned it for Jaleida, to settle down, to spend the rest of his life and dotage within the dreadfully boring royal court. _The things you did and do for the ones you love, _that was the sad story of his life.

Ardeshir said, "I can assure you that," what was one more lie while her guard was down, while she was buying what he was selling, consuming the empty reassurances he fed her. He looked outside at the storm approaching, perfect to match his mood. He didn't want to do this any more than Jaleida. He didn't want to destroy Mirdala's dreams of becoming a hunter merely to please his wife but he didn't want his beloved daughter to suffer one day from the selfishness lurking in his heart, for his own desire of an heir to his own dark heritage.

He remembered the last time; he had come to terms with his own choices. His mother was a Nagai female and his father a Mandalorian mercenary. The love had been forbidden and his mother had abandoned them both. With a single parent his childhood had been uncomplicated, his Father had raised him as he'd been raised himself. Recently he'd been haunted by her shadow, his mother had returned. As a son he'd been worthless and unwanted by his mother but with two force-sensitive granddaughters, she'd bridged the distance between them since his birth, her wish to consume Mirdala and Ismene in her legacy superseding her abandonment of him in a big way. Ismene was not a worry; she would never take up his legacy let alone his mother's. Mirdala, he worried about, not only did she want to become a Hunter, but she would be eager to take up an accursed rare legacy if given the opportunity. She was attracted and allured by the fantasy of heroics and darkness. He didn't care what he had to do but he knew he had to support destroying Mirdala's dreams for her own good. He'd shut down that down harsh and fast, they'd even denied the Jedi Order, who had wished to take both children early, to indoctrinate them into the Order.

No daughters of his were going to be _jetii_. The Jedi were worse than Jaleida at her worst, his daughters would be no icon of faith to others, forced to forsake the attachments that made them human. The idea of family and what it meant was the only part of himself he was allowed to teach them, to give to them, to have them taught to forsake the only part of them that was connected to himself was like being disowned, like hell he'd give them up to the Jedi. They could not co-exist, Mandalorians and Jedi, even he knew that. The _jetii _abandoned or forsook all that Mandalorian culture held dear and/or essential. A Mandalorian could not be a Jedi, Jedi could not be Mandalorian, he might not be able to raise either of his daughters to be a _Mando_ completely, in full circle but better for them to be _dar'manda_ knowing of him and his teachings than among the ranks of the Jedi, never knowing of parents that loved them or nothing about the saving power of family, of 'attachment', condemned for being human.

* * *

Queen Nieve bit her lip before looking nervously to her advisor Jaleida, who gave her a small nod of assurance that her husband would take care of the threats plaguing Naboo's citizenry and suddenly as if summoned by fear Ardeshir walked in and bowed before Nieve, saying quietly, "You summoned me, your majesty."

The Queen nodded, stepping up from her throne, no one was around save Jaleida, there was no need for the government to be here while she rectified an internal issue of civil safety, still this was the fifteenth death in three months, a danger from Naboo's wilds were preying upon her subjects and that had to stop, the man before her in a distant past been a respectable hunter, vaunted despite his questionable past. A steady breath exhaled as she tried to ground her voice as she delivered her reply, "I have."

"Then what can I do for you?"

"Some manner of beast torments the citizens of Naboo and threaten our livelihood. If it is not too much to ask, I would ask of you to engage and destroy these threats," it felt wrong to ask this man to risk his life especially where he had wife and children, all of whom she knew well, all of whom she'd have to face if anything happened to him.

Ardeshir's reply was not wholly unexpected, he was unflinching, even though he didn't know what the threat was he radiated a calm cool confidence that washed over even herself, soothing her nerves, "I was a Hunter before I became Captain of the Guard and I shall become so again, if that is what you ask of me, Milady."

Nieve gave a smile, "Sincerest thanks, Lord Ardeshir," turning to dismiss his wife who was watching their interaction with mild disinterest, her advisor certainly felt no threat that she was standing so close interacting with her spouse, ever the perfect profession Jaleida was, "Jaleida, you may retire for the day if you feel so inclined. You may as well, Lord Ardeshir."

Jaleida uttered softly, "I am feeling indisposed so I will take your generous offer. Perhaps I shall see you later, Your Majesty."

Ardeshir eager to take advantage of this opportunity to speak to his wife and rest said, "I will also retire for now but I will return later this evening."

Jaleida then exited with her husband on her heels, and when she was sure they were alone she said, "You are sure about what you said taking us all with you on your next hunt and against something so dangerous?"

"We don't yet know what is out there, while it is still light out I am going to figure out what it is we face, then we can make the decision of what to expose the children too…," if it was too dangerous, none of them would go, "our summer home is situated in the wilds, the children will be safe there in our own home surely."

"Yes, I would believe so, as long as the beasts don't breach the defenses."

"They won't," his tone left no room for argument, brooked no room for disagreement, it gave Jaleida reassurance in him but still she was uneasy and he could tell, his next words said as much, "what are you worried of?"

Jaleida looked away, and Ardeshir knew he was never going to get his answer.

* * *

Ardeshir bid Ismene good night before he returned to his room and took a moment to look at his array of books before taking an encyclopedia of alien species off the shelf. His earlier excursion showed him exactly what he faced in the wilds.

_Nexu…_

Non-native predators, no wonder their presence was a shock, somehow they'd been introduced to Naboo, their numbers had grown extensive enough to be considered threatening, now they had to be put down.

He then went to Mirdala's room and knocked on the door. He heard a quick shuffle and knew she had gotten out of bed and moved toward the door. As he came in, his daughter ran into him and hugged him tightly.

"I got you, Buir."

He smiled and said, "So confident you are, are you really so sure, Ad'ika (Little daughter)?" and without any pause he quickly scooped her up effortlessly into his arms, and carried her back to her bed. She quickly sat down and he sat down next to her on the mattress.

"Buir, are you really going to take Ismene, Dala'buir, and me when you go to hunt?"

When he'd returned, he had assured his wife the threat wasn't so great that they needed to stay back, at dinner they'd informed the girls. Ismene had been passive, almost indifferent, Mirdala had been thrilled to say the least and that in itself was understatement.

"Well, I am going to allow you three to watch, you will have to stay within the safety of our summer home. Do you want to see what I am hunting?"

Mirdala nodded eagerly, and he turned the pages until he reached that page with the Nexu. The girl looked at it intently, "It looks like a big cat, Buir."

"Indeed it does but it is a far cry from tame. See how big its mouth is?"

To give her credit, Mirdala was not cowardly, she looked intent and interested though the maw of a Nexu was large enough to eat her whole. The girl nodded thoughtfully, "Yes."

It had been his hope that showing her might make her scared, act as a deterrent that would keep her back in safety, "So you have to promise me you will stay in the safe area with your mother and sister. Promise?"

"I promise."

"Good, now you need to get some rest or you will be too tired for anything."

He kissed her on the forehead laying the book by the table near her bedside, and turning off the lights as he left the room."

* * *

_To this day there is not a moment that goes by that I don't wish the events that had come to past had not. When I was young I had been eager to become a shadow of my father's prestige and glory as a hunter but the reality was more than I could bear at that time, at that age. That night turned out to be my Father's last. No less than Six nexus ambushed him and he tried to lead them away from us but succeeded in only getting the attention of three. Those three Nexu killed him and the remaining three turned on us. It never should have happen that way, there is no way my father, so skilled should have met his end like that. Even now I know something went wrong and it wasn't because he was unprepared or underestimated the threat he faced. My father never would have underestimated a threat when our lives depended upon his success._

_I had been avidly by the window watching when they attempted to attack us and I have the scar for my foolishness. Deep red, going from the forehead along my right cheek all the way down to my chin._

_My life was never the same after that, Dala'buir and Ismene both wanted little to do with me, I was just a living reminder of that day. Whenever my mother had company or friends over I was forced to skulk in the shadows. I wore a black cloak to hide the monstrosity of my face from the world. As Ismene grew up she became more obsessed with her image and ceased to have anything to do with me. Dala'buir forbade me from having anything to do with soldiering or hunting and she tried desperately to continue pretending to the world as if she had a sole daughter, hiding me like a shameful secret. _

_Dala'buir's career finally earned her what she wished, she finally became Queen of Naboo and my sister was voted Senator at 16. Finally I grew sick of the hypocrisy of her claims to love me and continue to flinch and hide my presence from the world. I was tired of sulking in the shadows while Ismene and she lived their lives, I was going to make and live my own life and she wasn't going to stop me._

_On the day of her coronation, I appeared before her and the world for the first time in eleven years and stated my intent to leave my life behind. I would pursue my fortunes elsewhere. Both she and Ismene looked terrified, as the court beheld what had become of the second daughter. The both of them tried to reason with me, Dala'buir begged me reconsider but I was no longer listening to her. Her will had chained me for so long, and I was sick of it. At that moment I no longer knew her as Dala'buir but rather as Dar'buir, "no longer a parent" but in my heart I knew she had ceased to be so many years earlier, I had just not wanted to admit it myself._

_- Mirdala Genet_

* * *

_**A/N:** This story tells a bit about Mirdala's childhood and hints at some of the mysteries that are to come, this is Naboo LONG BEFORE Queen Amidala so don't think I am flaunting canon story according to books and movies. Since Mirdala's was so young, I thought it best to tell her childhood through her father who knew her the most, better than any others. The last part of the chapter is a short narrative that tells you what happened between her childhood and the next time you see her show up. Next chapter is the story of Sarynth, another point of view the story will cover!_


	2. Sarynth's Story Silent Crusade

**2 - Sarynth's Story - _Silent Crusade_**

* * *

"Sarynth?"

Her clawed fingers finishing a last secure knot before turning to survey the speaker. The woman was young, not yet fifteen and her charge since she could remember – Eirene. When she'd been born, Sarynth had been there, at that moment hence and every moment since. Most importantly she'd been there when it mattered most, at the time of a very successful coup, a military coup against the rightful just government of their home world had been executed along with a majority of the ruling class, the royal family. At the time it had become impossible to defend the government, the hereditary oligarchy that ruled the planet. A majority of the royal family had been killed but Sarynth had managed to get Eirene out despite the calls for her to be found and summarily executed as soon as the latter could be managed. Since then to generate funds by which they could survive and escape they'd sold Eirene's gowns and jewelry, cut the princess' hair, and Sarynth had taken to smuggling.

It was quite impossible for her to stand still and allow the new government to assume and exercise a tyrannical position of power unchecked. A pocket of stubborn resistance had inevitably risen up to take a fight against those who wrongfully seized power. Her first priority had been clear: get Eirene OFF the planet. She'd managed it and for her efforts she'd acquired a partner of sorts, a wookiee – Shracck. The partnership was far from perfect but manageable, productive even. The funds generated from Eirene's wardrobe had been expended to invest in a ship, which had opened up new paths, allowing them to invest in wartime smuggling contracts, contracts that benefitted the resistance. Sarynth's path was clear; Eirene was one of the few members left alive of the previous government. The resistance had to be supported, remain strong, be successful and then it would open a future for them both: Eirene as a government official she was born to be and Sarynth as her rightful protector.

"Sarynth?"

Realizing that she could no longer ignore her, her claws fell away from fixing the cargo and she turned, allowing her eyes to look along her snout down at the delicate human female, "Yes?"

"I think we should stop a while, the last time was close, too close," Eirene had NOT been there but she'd been able to see the repairs the ship had undergone and the wounds Sarynth had needed stitched up, in fact Eirene had stitched up quite a few of them herself. In the absence of her normal lifestyle she'd taken to studying medicine and she was quite good at it.

"We've taken it easy for several weeks, about three, if we don't break through the resistance will be starved out into a surrender. I cannot countenance it and neither should you."

"They are my people, naturally I wouldn't want them to suffer but the resistance is, despite your effort, woefully outmatched and they won't accomplish anything but their deaths. I don't want yours included in that tragedy. Please, let's us go to Coruscant and plead our case, the case of home world to the Republic itself, to its Senate."

Eirene's pleading stung, it could have been perceived that she didn't have faith in Sarynth's abilities or that of her people but Eirene had a point; they'd been ousted by those who had been expected to defend the rightful government and the general populace of the planet. Those who fought were civilians fighting against seasoned troops and though Sarynth's gesture of support was welcome it was not exactly the most effective form of resistance not to mention extremely risky and she knew it.

"We'll talk about it when I get back," she couldn't do it now and she'd not cancel her contract, if the Resistance didn't get their typical and LATE shipment of weapons, ammunition, and sustenance they'd die of hunger long before they managed to win any key landmark victories in the Civil War.

* * *

With that she left Eirene behind, knowing that the remnant of her family would watch over her, she was their hope for the future, a positive future. Sarynth clambered up onto the ship, bending her head as she entered the cockpit; it wasn't perfect in that; for two species that were tall, athletic, and robust, made for endurance. The cockpit was small, both had to duck and cover when going through the door but it was the size of the cargo hold and what it could carry that mattered.

"Ready?" Shracck answered in the affirmative, Sarynth had the fortune of knowing Shyriiwook in addition to Basic previous to meeting Shracck. No need to learn the new language and an easy understanding of her partner's language from the get go help to make their partnership easier, more rewarding, "Let's get out of here then…"

At first everything seemed to go alright, they'd done this so many times, going dark before they entered the planet's atmosphere, so dark that their craft was just short of being dead, to the point that they used the planet's gravitational pull to guide them to the surface. Their craft wasn't made to make a military stand and that would be suicide. It was a blockade-runner, a discreet blockage-runner but they were caught. Despite the fact they waited out an extra week, drawing their contract deadline very thin indeed.

It hadn't been long enough for them to forget what had escaped their clutches once before. It was a bad combination that they'd not forgotten them and been specifically on the look out. When their ship was found the strength of the blockade had been brought against the freighter. There was no way they make it to the surface and they couldn't retreat to the safety of their hideout. With nothing left to do Sarynth punched in new coordinates, her clawed paw slamming them into place, not daring to delay for fear that their ship wouldn't make it if they didn't get out of there.

The ship materialized into Alderaan's atmosphere, where everything fell to pieces within seconds, their ship making a rapid and involuntarily trajectory that was likely to bring them either crashing against a beachfront or plunging into ocean depths. The atmospheric pressure was ripping off what little remained of their armor plating; the ship had sustained heavy damage just from being pounded by the blockade's armada. There was not much of anything to protect their ship from the collision, most of the metal twisted crushing in upon them. Something came loose, a heavy beam of metal hitting at the base of the skull, sending her vision swimming as she felt the wet feeling of blood matting her fur, scenting it upon the air with her superior sense of smell. It was last thing she knew before darkness took her.

* * *

_**A/N: **Sarynth's story was VERY short in part because it is continued as part of Sashara's story which is the next chapter._


	3. Sashara's Story Unlucky Heiress

**3 – Sashara's Story – **_**Unlucky Heiress**_

* * *

Sashara carefully looked into the mirror, admiring a new set of markings recently placed and imprinted carefully upon her skin. The feature like that stood out upon her, proclaiming her accomplishments for all to see which, for a young lady of her age, were numerous. She didn't consider herself overly vain but she noticed that her wealth and the prestige of her family had served her well at every turn. She'd been spoiled, yes, but not overly so. She been to the best schools, her brilliant mind easily carrying her to the position of Valedictorian in the basic elementary level education, advanced secondary, and finally through college. Now she had graduated and despite her parent's not seeing the purpose of it she'd use her medical degree to serve the greater good. Her family's name easily snagged her a position under a doctor of the highest degree in the best medical institution and hospital Alderaan had to offer. It was her greatest hope that she'd not disappoint, that she'd live up to expectation and scrutiny. Today was her first day and she was sure it was going to be a good one.

Carefully she approach, ready to report to her doctor, from reputation he was a dragon. Very orderly, pristine, less favorable reports said he'd chased off five health technicians and three other nurses, firing them, inciting them to quit, or at the very least request to transfer off-planet. She was determined not to join them, to impress the good doctor, starting with a right-on-time appearance. Not early, not late, right on time. Only she went into the room and the doctor instantly turned into her direction throwing a bag of medical supplies at her, she managed to catch them despite her clumsy hand awkwardly shouldering what felt like it was full of heavy weights, was this a test?

"Sashara, yes?"

"Y-yes," she said, his tone was brusque, not exactly welcoming.

"Don't just STAND THERE, go to the beach, we possibly have two patients being extracted from a crashed starcraft. One confirmed alive but unstable, in critical condition, stabilize and bring the patients in."

So many questions hopped into her mind but she shut her mouth, sure they wouldn't be appreciated by the good doctor. She hastily was trying to recall where the medical transport were when a woman came up to her, "Oh good, you are the new doctor, come with me. Hurry."

Quickly dragged off into a transport vehicle, sirens flared and they were at the beach it seemed within mere moments. Her first few minutes definitely seemed to rush at her in a blur but instantly she put the thought that this was a test, a mere game the moment she saw her patients. One the rescue team had managed to pry out of the cage of twisted metal so super heated from atmospheric re-entry that it was melted crudely, they had to cut through the hull just to get to the one laid out upon the beach, a canine species. Her recall was great, she turned to the rescue crew as she stepped forward swiftly, "The other patient?"

"Dead by the time we cut through the hull, a Wookiee."

Wookiees were hardly creatures, a sentient albeit difficult species to understand but for a Wookiee to die, told her something, this was one hell of an accident. She bent down, feelings for vitals upon what she identified from biology as a member of the 'Ranth' species – a canine alien species. They were reputed for endurance and strength, great soldiers. That is exactly what this one looked like. Her fingers caught a pulse but its beat was erratic, the wounds incurred were traumatic, shocking to its body and the re-entry into Alderaan's gravitational atmosphere didn't help, it put undue stress upon a creature already gravely hurt.

Her training served her well, she calmed down enough to ascertain the situation and make an effective decision. She stabilized her only living passenger, then made sure to put IT under. She wasn't sure if it was male or female or how to tell short of doing a strip search for genitals, that was out of the question unless necessary which it wasn't. Her Ranth patient had a deep laceration at the base of the skull but other than that was unharmed, stabilized enough for movement she had her patient taken to the hospital for twenty-four hour observation before possibility of discharge. She looked at the Wookiee, the rescue crews had given up on cutting the Wookiee out, on recovering its body for autopsy, the metal was too curled around its large body in a wraparound mess. It was a waste and again she wondered what had happened as she got back into the hospital vehicle.

Her first shift was hectic, the Senior doctor was too busy and the small staff he'd recently ousted meant that if she wanted observation done on her patient she did it herself and diligently at that. Her documentation was nothing short of detailed, missing little. No sooner would she check on her patient's vitals, type out her documentations, than she'd do it again. At twelve hours she had to call in a nurse to take over, nurses and doctors couldn't work more than sixteen hours in a row. To reduce the chance of error being admitted into their work based on exhaustion, she slept there at the hospital not bothering to go home. If she slept eight hours she could handle the last four hours of the patient's observation herself and discharge the patient. With that in mind she turned her mind to sleep and lost it there.

* * *

Sarynth woke up with a dull pain throbbing at the base of her neck, her claws went to the back of her neck and there at the base of her skull she realized that her fur had been shaved so that her skin could be stretched taut, a wound sewn back together. Instantly she looked around for clues about where they were, she doubted that if they'd been captured by the enemy they'd have gone to the bother to stitch them back together and surely if it was the enemy someone would be promptly there to interrogate them, instead she saw what appeared to be Twil'lek female nurse, "Ah, you are up, how are you feeling?"

Sarynth wasn't sure how to answer that; her muzzle growled out a question, "My partner, the wookiee."

The Twil'lek looked down at her notes, "Deceased, announced dead upon the doctor's arrival, I am sorry, it was a nasty crash and the ship couldn't even be salvaged in any way, shape, or form. Is there any way I can make you comfortable?"

"No," she said, "wait, yes, where am I?"

She'd almost said 'where are we' when she remembered that there was no WE, Shracck was dead, she was alone, down a ship, and totally out of a job. Post haste she needed to get back to Eirene assuming that the Princess hadn't got smart and jumped to Coruscant to deal with her planet's occupation the political way when she committed herself to a suicide mission, well almost a suicide.

"Alderaan, you were treated by Dr. Sashara, she'll be back to see you once more before she releases you."

Having nothing else she could do, Sarynth settled back against the pillows, feeling ever restless.

* * *

Eight hours later, Sashara still felt drowsy, like she been kicked around and then dragged. She kept telling herself she had a busy first day that she'd get used to it. She turned a corner and ran right into a fortune in medical supplies AND medical machinery. The supplies clattered haphazardly to the floor and the machine, which looked like it cost a fortune, shattered. Sashara half wanted to run away so she couldn't be associated with damaging material that was likely more than she could pay in twenty years of paychecks but her urge to 'clean up', to fix the mess came forward. She reached out as if to pick it all up when she saw the LAST person she wanted to see, the Senior doctor of the shift she worked, the pristine utilitarian who single-handedly oust almost an entire shift whether it was for a reason or out of spite.

"I…," she started, her words stirring up turned out to be USELESS.

"Get out, you're fired!"

Her luck seemed to have run out in a big way, she walked past her 'shift supervisor' and past the Twil'lek nurse who relieved her, the Twil'lek gave her a sympathetic look as she fled the premises, trying to keep what was left of her confidence and dignity together in place. She turned her shoulder around in time to see the Doctor who dismissed her rip her carefully charted documentation out of the nurse's hands before going into the patient's room, HER patient's room.

* * *

Sarynth woke up from her drowsy state of near sleep by a heck of a commotion taking place outside her room. Followed by a brief but loud conversation in which someone, likely the party responsible for the commotion was fired. At first she considered it a good thing until she saw the unfortunate medical staff – not sure if the tattooed human was nurse or doctor and instantly pitied her. The girl looked fresh, new, likely straight out of medical school and likely trying to get her leg up. The second thing that made her pity the responsible party was the Senior Specialist who was to put it NICELY – a jerk. Coming in briefly, looking at her machines, no contact, no questions, signed her discharge slip and told the nurse to get Sarynth discharged and out in fifteen minutes. The Twil'lek nurse sped off, no doubt to keep her job intact and herself free of the threat of dismissal.

She was only too glad to get out of the hospital even though she didn't have the slightest idea of where to go, she had no money, no job, apparently no future where she was lacking both. She'd put all her money on her smuggling operation and clearly she'd gambled in the wrong place, put all the money on the wrong horse so to speak. What a bleak way to start the day when she realized she had medical bills to sort out in time. She'd definitely had worse day and worse moments in her life but this day was counting down to be more than a bit shitty. She turned a corner and the fleeing figure ran right into her, Sarynth winced as she hit a wound bandaged around her midriff, looking down to realize it was the unlucky female. Close proximity allowed Sarynth to realize that her earlier assumption she was a tattooed human was wrong, the girl was Miralian which explained her markings, judging by their intricacy they had to indicate she was good at something in particular.

"I'm sorry about that," she apologized.

"It is alright."

"Are you alright?" she asked quietly, "I treated you, I wanted to know if you were okay."

The woman had been fired and she backtracked to make sure her patient was alright, the Miralian doctor continued, "My name is D-Sashara, I WAS a doctor, the doctor that treated you. You weren't to be released for about four more hours, I wanted a twenty-four hour observation done."

The keen look in her eyes told Sarynth that she had backtracked to do JUST THAT whether she was employed or not, passionate. The girl, woman was a passionate individual, "I'm Sarynth and I'm good to go," Sarynth didn't want to spend four more hours or even one more hour under her replacement. The Twil'lek nurse had been okay, the human doctor…a jerk.

Sarynth stood there in contemplative silence when suddenly a male in crisp formal clothing came up the stairs and turned to Sashara, "Excuse me, ma'am, you work here do you not?"

Sashara looked like she was unsure of how to answer, the correct answer was she USED TO but not anymore. Nevertheless with her uniform and medical equipment hanging off her she looked the part, "Yes," she said cautiously.

The male looked relieved, "I am looking for Ms. Sashara Selkes, I am solicitor attempting to execute the estate of her uncle in accordance to his last will and testament."

The Miralian doctor turned a bit flustered, "I am Sashara, sir."

"Splendid, that makes things easier, shall we do this in your office or mine."

"Yours," she declared instantly and Sarynth couldn't help but know this is because she no longer had an office so to speak and she wasn't eager to tell the solicitor first hand why.

* * *

Sashara had taken Sarynth with her, determined to see through the twenty-four observation to just that – a full twenty-four hours. With nothing better to do, her Ranth patient accompanied her. The solicitor was initially reluctant to include Sarynth but Sashara had instructed him to proceed, that she had an obligation as a doctor to Sarynth. Finally he conceded, reading the will, "I leave my YT-1300 transport to my darling, beloved, and only niece Sashara in the hopes that it proves useful to her in her lifetime. That is the only bequest left to you, I have the ignition keys and the registration to present to you at this moment. Congratulations, Ms. Sashara," the solicitor shook her hands but she felt stunned, a spot of bad luck and then straight back to good. Well it was good news except for the fact her uncle was dead. She accepted the registration, which was reprinted deeding the ship to her specifically and the ignition key which was a back up, another, the primary key was hidden upon the ship which was docked at the private docking platform 2B.

Her good luck, as fate would have it, ran out once more. She returned home to find out her parents were destitute and no longer able to support her further in any way. They still had a good name but that was all, both of them would have to seek and find employment just like her after a life in which they had never had to before, they had no resume so to speak. Sashara would have been utterly disheartened if not for the fact that Sarynth spoke up, "I guess we all will have to seek work, maybe we can go it together."

Her heart leapt at the idea of it, surely together they'd be able to get hired on a good job, able to accomplish some task between the two of them then halve the spoils, "Really?"

"Really, I have no job, frankly I am in need of a way off the planet. I don't suppose you'd allow me pay for my passage at a later date once I've secured employment or some measure of income."

Sashara smiled, "Not like I can shake you down for money if you don't have it now, can I?"

"I guess not," Sarynth agreed, "We are agreed then?"

"Agreed!" the Miralian doctor said enthusiastically, shaking her pawed hand with a stronger grip than she'd initially give the humanoid credit for. It didn't take them too long to find the transport, the only problem is that as they crossed the private dock the ship fired up, sending them both running for it and wondering what they would discover onboard.

* * *

_**A/N:** And here comes Mirdala's BIG entrance and she is going to make it a big bam! We'll finally figure out what she did once she left her mother, sister, and Naboo behind_


End file.
